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Astros' lineup features Dominguez's hot bat at No. 5

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Dominguez's two-run single 0:18

6/18/14: Matt Dominguez cracks a line drive to left with the bases loaded, scoring two runs to tie the game at 2

By Brian McTaggart
/
MLB.com |

ST. PETERSBURG -- With third baseman Matt Dominguez swinging a hot bat and entering Thursday on a five-game hitting streak, manager Bo Porter had him hitting in the fifth spot in the order for the 13th time this season, behind rookies George Springer and Jon Singleton.

The Springer and Singleton combination in the third and fourth spots could be something Astros fans could get used to seeing a lot of in the coming years, but Porter said the lineup configuration had more to do with moving up Dominguez to separate left-handed bats Singleton and Jason Castro.

"It makes it little hard on the opposing manager to put Dominguez in between them," Porter said. "It gives good continuity to the lineup. Having George behind [Jose] Altuve, we've spoke about the whole dynamic many times before and I like having those guys back to back."

Singleton was hitting cleanup for the fifth time since joining the Astros.

"Anywhere in the lineup, I feel comfortable, whether it's leadoff or in the nine-hole," he said. "It's not going to [deter] me from my game plan or anything like that."